Trump, Clinton Leading in South Carolina

February 16, 2016 - Posted in Palmetto Scene by Aimee Crouch

A poll released by CBS News shows that Republican candidate Donald Trump continues to lead in South Carolina with 42%. Ted Cruz is more than 20 points behind Trump, with 20%, followed by Rubio at 15%. Kasich, Bush, and Carson all have under 10%.

CBS News reports, “For Trump voters, who have been relatively steadfast in their support over the last few months, the percentage who say they've firmly decided on Trump has increased. Trump's lead among evangelicals is up from January, and he has widened his lead among conservatives, too.”

For most of his campaign, Trump has played the outsider role, which has helped his lead in South Carolina, where 1 in 4 Republicans that took part in this poll describe the “establishment as a bad thing, and few describe it as a group that knows how to get things done.”

On the Democratic side, the poll shows Hillary Clinton leading Bernie Sanders 59% to 40%. Clinton’s large lead is due to support from the African American voters in the state, according to the poll.

The S.C. GOP primary is Saturday, February 20, and the S.C. Democratic Primary is Saturday, February 27.